Ryan Has Wildlife Park Funds In Budget

$3 Million Is Pledged For State To Take Over Preserve Near Peoria

February 04, 2000|By Flynn McRoberts, Tribune Staff Writer.

Tucked between his State of the State announcements of a new anti-crime czar and relief for tollway congestion, Gov. George Ryan this week finally made good on a promise to end years of wrangling and preserve Illinois' only living museum of animals that once roamed the state.

The governor sought to improve the state's record for preserving open space by setting aside money in his proposed budget for the state to eventually acquire the Wildlife Prairie Park, which he called a "natural resource gem."

It's been six years since philanthropist Bill Rutherford first offered to give state officials the 1,200-acre park near Peoria that he helped establish and that now annually draws 200,000 visitors.

More than 200 bison, elk, timber wolves and many other animals that once covered this swath of North America have roamed the reclaimed mine land since Rutherford opened the park in 1978.

But funding concerns, bureaucratic resistance and Rutherford's inability to agree to the terms of a transfer had derailed what seemed like a no-brainer for the state.

Despite previous reservations from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Ryan is calling for more than $3 million to begin a transition to state control that is expected to take several years.

"Thanks to the generosity of Bill Rutherford and his donation to the people of Illinois . . . future generations of Illinoisans will be able to enjoy his unique 1,200-acre natural preserve," Ryan said in his address, during which some legislators gave Rutherford and his wife, Hazel, a standing ovation.

If the General Assembly approves Ryan's request, $1 million will go to upgrading roads and buildings at the facility; $1.8 million will cover operating costs for the first year; and $627,000 will help pay for teacher workshops and training programs that are at the heart of the park's mission.

"He's adopted us," Rutherford said of Ryan. "It's a real comfort to know that the future (of the park) is assured."

Officials from the Department of Natural Resources, who previously had worried that the agency had neither the resources nor the expertise to run the facility, said Thursday that Ryan's request would make it workable.

"The former governor (Jim Edgar) did not want to take over this site unless it could be self-sustaining," said Carol Knowles, spokeswoman for the department. "The difference here is that Gov. Ryan believes that the site should be owned and operated by the state," even if it requires a state subsidy.

Knowles said many issues still must be negotiated, including Rutherford's role and whether the current admission fee will remain.